Malloy creates panel to review gun laws

Following a deadly school shooting in Newtown last month, the governor has established a commission to look at limiting and possibly preventing another tragedy from ever happening again.

"It would be stupid for us not to have this conversation," said Gov. Dannel Malloy in from the State Capitol in Hartford Thursday afternoon.

Malloy announced that he is setting up a Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, which will be led by Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson.

"This issue touches me, I have a son whose in the first grade," said Jackson. "Right now, it's the most important thing for me to do."

The 15-member commission will review school safety, gun control laws and regulations and mental health issues.

"We will work together to make the state model one for the rest of the nation," Malloy said. "We can't work on this issue by ourselves here in Connecticut. Still, far too easy to buy guns and in some states and transport to our state. We need Washington to get its act together."

The commission will release its initial report on March 15 and consist of mental health workers, public safety officials, law enforcement members and school officials.

"I want to put together a cross section of people together," Malloy said.

On Dec. 14, Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed his mother as she slept in her bed. He then traveled the few miles to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he proceeded to shoot out a security window, make his way into the building and kill 20 children and six adults.

He then shot and killed himself as police made their way into the school.

Connecticut State Police are still investigating the motive for the shooting. Malloy told reporters that we may never know what lead to the shooting.

"(Lanza) didn't leave a note," he said. "There is less information in this incident than there has been in other incidents."

However, Malloy told reporters that not knowing the motive is "no excuse for inactivity."

"We can still have an impact," Malloy said when asked what the commission could accomplish.

Malloy also noted that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School may have not occurred if Lanza did not have access to AR-15s.

Malloy told reporters that the commission will need to look at language that describes certain weapons and the regulations governing them.

"It's clear we have to be respectful to the Constitution, but regulation needs to be supported," he said.

Malloy, who said he was one of the first people to support tighter gun regulations, said he would be respectful of the Connecticut and United States constitutions as well as hunting regulations.

"You don't need a 30-round clip to go hunting," he said.

Malloy also discussed how the Brady Bill helped with gun regulation and when it lapsed, clips went from 10 to 30 bullets.

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Just the word "snake" brings shivers to a lot of people. Many people do not want to be around them, and as soon as a snake is spotted, many try to kill it. It is important to understand snakes because they play an important role in the balance of nature.